Theory & Impro Deriving Chordal Structure from Melody Line

[PassingTone]

Hi
Just wondering if anyone had some input to help out a beginning
improviser.
Wondering the easiest way to work out the chordal structure eg.
if you only have the written melody line in an etude.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

 

[pete_canter]

Hi PT

The bad news or the good news depending upon how you look at it is that if you only have a written melody line, then any number of harmonisations are possible. But perhaps I've misunderstood the question.

Pete

 

[Pete Thomas]

Rather a hit & miss approach is to assume that signifiacnnt notes rhythmically or on the shape of the melody will be chord tones, and other notes could be passing notes or suspensions (see below). You need also to listen where phrases end - often these are important harmonic cadences with strong chord changes (e.g. G7 to C). It's a good idea to work backwards from cadences.

This is extremely simplistic, any more and this post would be several pages long - it has reminded me that this is something I should do an article on.

Saints is a good example:

In the alto key (G), it starts with the chord of G (GBD) right up until the A on the 8th bar.

The C (on beat 4) is a passing note between the chord notes B & D.

On bar 8, the chord changes to D7, this is a cadence point.

It then goes back to G for "be in that " (all chord notes) then to C for "number". Here the melody is D to C. D is not a chord note or a passing note in this case as it's on a strong beat. This is called a suspension as it suspends a note (D ) over from the previous bar, of which it is a chord note.

The final (perfect) cadence is the last A to G melody which is harmonised with D7 to G

 

[PassingTone]

Pete Thomas wrote:
Rather a hit & miss approach is to assume that signifiacnnt notes rhythmically or on the shape of the melody will be chord tones, and other notes could be passing notes or suspensions (see below). You need also to listen where phrases end - often these are important harmonic cadences with strong chord changes (e.g. G7 to C). It's a good idea to work backwards from cadences.

This is extremely simplistic, any more and this post would be several pages long - it has reminded me that this is something I should do an article on.

Saints is a good example:

In the alto key (G), it starts with the chord of G (GBD) right up until the A on the 8th bar.

The C (on beat 4) is a passing note between the chord notes B & D.

On bar 8, the chord changes to D7, this is a cadence point.

It then goes back to G for "be in that " (all chord notes) then to C for "number". Here the melody is D to C. D is not a chord note or a passing note in this case as it's on a strong beat. This is called a suspension as it suspends a note (D ) over from the previous bar, of which it is a chord note.

The final (perfect) cadence is the last A to G melody which is harmonised with D7 to G

Thanks Pete
That's cleared up things for me. Look forward to the article
if you get a chance.

Cheers
Mark